# Reasons behind Government's Decision to Stop Practice of Partially Masking NRIC Numbers

- Date: 2025-01-07
- Who: Josephine Teo · Tan Wu Meng
- Source: https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/#/sprs3topic?reportid=written-answer-18417
- sgai: https://sgai.md/debates/written-answer-18417/
- License: sgai-authored content (summaries, translations, analysis) is CC BY 4.0 — attribute and link to sgai.md. Verbatim source text (Hansard, speeches, transcripts, policy documents) remains © its original rights holders and is reproduced for reference only. Terms: https://github.com/meltflake/sgai/blob/main/DATA-LICENSE.md

## Why it matters

Government's next-day response with only a ministerial statement exposes how NRIC privacy rules lag behind reverse-identification risks in the AI era

## Summary

An MP asked why the government decided to stop the practice of partially masking NRIC numbers and whether the AI era has accelerated reverse-engineering risks for personal data. The government replied that this would be addressed in detail the next day via a Ministerial Statement. The core debate: balancing data privacy protection with the security challenges of advancing technology.

## Key points

- Stop partial masking of NRIC
- AI accelerates data reverse-engineering risk
- Government to issue a Ministerial Statement

## Full text

© Parliament of Singapore — reproduced for reference only.

39 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) what is the rationale for the Government's intention to stop the practice of partially masking NRIC numbers and why at the present time; and (b) whether the era of artificial intelligence and machine learning has accelerated the likelihood of organisations reverse engineering significant portions of the NRIC database through scraping and collating existing personal data collections, including lucky draw registrants and customer lists from the pre-PDPA era.

Mrs Josephine Teo : This Parliamentary Question will be addressed through a Ministerial Statement by the Minister for Digital Development and Information during the Parliament Sitting on 8 January 2025. [ Please refer to "Responsible Use of NRIC Numbers", Official Report, 8 January 2025, Vol 95, Issue 149, Ministerial Statements section. ]